


Happiness Is A Warm Puppy

by lil_1337



Category: Donald Strachey Mysteries Movie 'verse
Genre: Fluff, M/M, sap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-14
Updated: 2014-01-14
Packaged: 2018-01-08 17:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1135423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for smallfandomfest 14.  Timmy is a soft touch.</p><p>Prompt: Donald was going to kill him</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happiness Is A Warm Puppy

It wasn't his fault, Timmy reminded himself as he hurried down the sidewalk careful not to slip on the slick coating of ice. White Christmases were lovely and decorative, but no one ever waxed poetic about freezing conditions in January and for good reason. They weren't beautiful and breathtaking in a way that made you aspire to be a better person. It was just cold; raw and biting in a way that made you feel that no matter how many hot toddies you drank or warm baths you took you would never completely thaw out.

That was why he did it. At least that was how he was rationalizing his decision. Any sane person with even the smallest shred of humanity would have done the same thing. Still, that didn't mean that Donald wasn't going to kill him for it. They'd just moved into the new house and it needed a ton of renovations. There wasn't money to spare for another mouth to feed no matter how small, helpless and cold it might be.

Timmy sighed and carefully shifted the small lump under his coat to the other side. The half frozen puppy had stopped shivering, but it hadn't made a sound since Timmy had picked him up and tucked him inside his coat to defrost. If he hadn't been able to feel the animal's heartbeat Timmy would have been afraid that the poor thing had died from exposure and terror.

He'd been in a hurry to catch his bus and had almost missed the little scrap of fur, passing it off as a piece of cloth that had somehow gotten stuck in the corner of a ragged cardboard box. It wasn't until he has already passed it that he heard the whimper. Turning back around he realized that what he had mistaken for trash was actually a small, white puppy. It's big brown eyes looked up at him and Timmy could see the trust underneath the fear.

Swallowing hard, Timmy tried not to think about how many times he had seen the exactly look on Donald's face. Without giving himself time to think he scooped up the dog and stuck it under his coat, noticing as he did 'free puppies' scrawled on the side of the box in large purple letters. He picked up the box looking under and around it to make sure that this was indeed the only one left. When he was finished he stood slowly not wanting to jar his precious passenger. The box went into a nearby trash can crumpling under the excessive amount of force that Timmy used to shove it through the circular hole in the top.

His bus was now long gone and Timmy sighed. Donald had wrapped up a case earlier in the day and they were supposed to be going out to dinner to celebrate. It had been almost three weeks since they'd had a chance to spend some quality couple time together and they had both been looking forward to a nice meal, a few turns around the dance floor and then home to a long night of reconnecting in more physically intimate ways. Instead here he was, knees soggy from kneeling in the snow with a puppy tucked into his coat. Donald was going to kill him and really, Timmy couldn't blame him one little bit.

He kept walking, passing the cement and metal shelter that signaled his stop without a single thought. There was no point sitting and waiting for the bus when he could make it to the next stop before it would arrive. It would put him a little closer to home and maybe he could make up for some the time he'd lost.

Bowing his head against the wind that had decided this would be a good time to kick up little flurries of snow Timmy moved closer to the buildings that lined the street. They offered scant shelter as the air blew in from the other direction, but a few had awnings which helped keep the worst of the now drifting snowflakes from piling up on him. Maybe making the half a mile walk hadn't been such a good plan after all.

His nose started to run and Timmy swiped at it with his gloved hand. He had a perfectly serviceable handkerchief in his pocket, but that would require shifting the puppy yet again and he was loath to do that. He could feel its tiny chest rising and falling under his hand as it slept, cozy in its cave of wool and cashmere. It was better if it rested until they were home and he could examine it without exposing it to more trauma. Warmth, sleep and food were what the poor thing needed. He had to admit that all three of those sounded really good about now with warmth topping the list.

The snow began falling in earnest, heavy wet flakes that stuck to everything, and Timmy peered out into the mass of visual white noise with the dawning realization that he had passed the second stop and was almost half way to the one before where he usually got off. It was full dark and without checking his watch Timmy knew he was well and truly late for his date with Donald. Yep, he was a dead man.

On the edge of his hearing Timmy heard a car door slam followed by what sounded like his name. He'd barely had time to blink when Donald was at his elbow helping him to the car.

Inside the vehicle Timmy leaned into the mostly warm air being spit out fitfully by the heater. The driver's side door opened and Donald slid in closing it behind him. He turned in his seat, studying Timmy. Silence filled the car as Donald waited patiently for a well deserved explanation. Sighing Timmy leaned back and clumsily undid the top two buttons of his coat. The puppy yawned and whimpered when Timmy pulled him out. His little tail waved fanning the air from the vent across the skin between Timmy's gloves and his coat sleeve, warming it.

“I found him in a box when I was on my way to catch the bus. Someone had just left him out in the cold to freeze. I couldn't just leave him.” Timmy's voice was strong even though his eyes pleaded with Donald to understand.

“Of course not.” Donald took the puppy holding it like it was a bit of priceless pottery. The tone of his voice made it clear that leaving the animal would never have been an alternative. For a moment something dark and angry crossed his features before they smoothed out again. Seeming unconcerned about the discussion the puppy yawned again before licking the tip of Donald's nose. He startled then grinned, a little boy in a man's body, before cuddling it close.

Reluctantly he handed the puppy to Timmy before putting the car into drive. He pulled into traffic, sliding across to the turn lane so that he could make a U turn at the next light and head back towards their house.

“Why didn't you call me? I would have come to get you.” The words were calm, a casual question belied by the tightness of Donald's jaw.

“I thought you would be angry. About the puppy. We can't afford it and...” Timmy let his words ramble to a stop. Here in the warmth of the car he realized that he had misjudged Donald, badly and in the process worried and hurt the man that he loved. It was a humbling moment and he ducked his head, focusing on the dog sleeping on his lap. “We were both looking forward to this evening and I ruined it by picking up a stray and then I missed the bus so I thought I would walk to the next stop and make up some of the lost time.” He paused, breathing in then scrubbing at this face. “I'm sorry. You're right, I should have gone back to the office and called you.”

The tension in Donald's face eased a little and his eyes flicked to Timmy then back to the road. “Okay.” His hand that had been resting on the gear shift came up to brush across Timmy's cheek before drifting down the arm of his coat and settle briefly on the silky fur of the sleeping puppy. “But I get to name him.”


End file.
